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JOURNAL 



OF 



LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JOSEPH VOSE 

April-July, 1776 



EDITED BY 

HENRY WINCHESTER CUNNINGHAM 




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JOURNAL 



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LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JOSEPH VOSE 

u 

April- July, 1776 



EDITED BY 

HENRY WINCHESTER CUNNINGHAM 



REPRINTED FROM 

THE PUBLICATIONS 

OF 

€l)e Colonial ^ociet^ of ^u&siu\)usim6 

Vol. VII. 



CAMBRIDGE 

JOHN WILSON AND SON 

Kntbersitg ^ress 

1905 






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Gift 
Author 
(Person) 



JOURNAL. 



Mr. Henry W. Cunningham, having been called upon, 
spoke as follows : — 

Mr. President : I wish to communicate to the Society a Jour- 
nal, covering the period from the twenty-sixth of April to the 
second of July, 1776, kept by Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Vose of 
Milton, Massachusetts, on the expedition sent by way of the Hudson 
River and Lake Champlain into Canada to reinforce the troops 
that had been sent there in 1775 under the command of General 
Montgomery and General Thomas. 

This Journal is in the form of a letter written by Colonel Vose 
to his wife at Milton, and evidently is, as its opening sentence de- 
clares, " A Memorandum Drew from y* minutes I took Daily." It 
was probably written in camp some time after the occurrences 
mentioned took place, as, for example, under the date of the 
twenty-third of May, in speaking of the cartel after the affair at 
the Cedars, he says, " the Same cartel was afterwards Carried to 
Congress, but they Comply'd not with it." This, too, may account 
for some slight inaccuracies of dates, — as when he places the death 
of General Thomas ^ on the twenty-eighth of May instead of on the 
second of June, although, even in this case, he may be merely 
noting the information brought to his camp. 

Joseph Vose came of an old New-England family and was born 
on the twenty-sixth of November, 1738,^ on the farm in Milton 

1 The date 2 June is given by J. Winsor, Reader's Handbook of the Ameri- 
can Revolution (1899), p. 91, and J. P. Baxter, Journal of Lieut. W. Digby, 
p. 9 note ; but W. T. R. Saffell, Records of the Revolutionary War (1858), 
p. 436, gives 30 May, while F. S. Drake, New England Historical and Grenea- 
logical Register, xxxiii. 383, gives 5 June. 

2 The Milton Town Records give the date of Colonel Vose's birth as 26 No- 
vember, 1738, and Memorials of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati 
(1890), p. 493, give it as 7 December, 1739. In the Milton Church Records his 
baptism is found under date of 3 December, 1738. The Milton Town Records 
state that he died 22 May, 1816, aged 76. 



that had belonged to his family for three quarters of a century. At 
the age of twenty-two, he married Sarah, daughter of Josiah Howe. 

Colonel Vose was a farmer both before and after the Revolution, 
and at all times a public-spirited citizen interested in town 
affairs ; and with a deep interest in the military, he played a prom- 
inent j)art in the army during that stirring period. Previous to 
the outbreak of hostilities, he had been a Colonel of the district 
militia and a Major in Heath's Suffolk Regiment.^ On the twentieth 
of May, 1775, he had taken a party of sixty men in boats to the 
light-house in Boston Harbor, which they burned, and from which 
they carried off a field-piece, the swivel and the lamps. Early in 
1776, he was commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel of the 24th Conti- 
nental Infantry of which John Greaton of Roxbury was Colonel,^ 
and after the evacuation of Boston, he went with his regiment to 
New York and thence up the Hudson and into Canada. In 1777, 
he was made Colonel of the 1st Massachusetts Regiment and 
joined the army under Washington in New Jersey, participating 
in the battle of Monmouth. He served with Sullivan in his Rhode 
Island Campaign in 1778, took part in the Siege of Yorktown, and 
at the close of the war was made Brigadier-General by brevet. He 
was one of the original members of the Massachusetts Society of the 
Cincinnati. He died in Milton on the twenty-second of May, 1816. 

The expedition of which this Journal gives a partial sketch, was 
sent from New York in the latter part of April, 1776, and con- 
sisted of four regiments, the 8th, 15th, 24th and 25th Continental 
Infantry, commanded by Colonels Enoch Poor of New Hampshire, 
and John Paterson, John Greaton and WilUam Bond of Massa- 
chusetts, respectively, with General William Thompson of Penn- 
sylvania as Commander of the expedition until its junction with 
the forces already in Canada.^ The men suffered hardships tramp- 
ing in wet weather through the wilderness, but were in good spirits, 

1 Memorials of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati, p. 493. 
"^ See Ibid. ; also Heitman's Historical Register of Oificers of the Continental 
Armj^ during the War of the Revolution. 

8 Under dates of 15, 21, and 26 April, 1776, Heath wrote : 

Four American regiments, viz. Poor's, Patterson's, Greaton's, and Bond's, were 
ordered for Canada ; Gen. Thompson was to command them. Gen. Thomas had been, 
some time before, sent from Boston to command in Canada. . . . The regiments destined 
for Canada, sailed for Albany. . . . Six more regiments were ordered for Canada, viz. 
two from the Pennsylvania line, two from the New-Jersey, and two from the New- 
Hampshire (Memoirs, 1798, p. 45). 



and anxious to join the Army and take part in the storming of 
Quebec. Their ardor received a check upon their arrival, on the 
eighth of May, at Sorel, where they heard of the defeat at Quebec 
and met returning troops, many of them sick with smallpox. 
After camping there for about two weeks, orders were received to 
proceed up the St. Lawrence to Montreal and have the men inocu- 
lated for smallpox. On this march they fell in with the delegates 
from the Continental Congress and heard of the disastrous skir- 
mish at the Cedars. Colonel Vose remained several days in Mon- 
treal, many of his command sick from their inoculation, and for a 
time his men were the only American troops in the hostile city, 
and were daily expecting an uprising of the inliabitants. From 
Montreal they took part in forays towards the Cedars, to Three 
Rivers and to Chambly, and thence, with all the other American 
troops in Canada, began that masterly retreat, with the enemy close 
upon them, up the Richelieu River and Lake Champlain to Crown 
Point and Ticonderoga. Lieutenant-Colonel Vose had an impor- 
tant command in the rear, and in his Journal he gives many details 
of his experiences on land and water. 

At the beginning of this Journal, the writer speaks of a previous 
one giving an account of his trip from Cambridge to New York, 
and he closes it with a promise of another giving more details of 
the movement of our troops in Canada ; but this is the only Diary 
or paper i of Joseph Vose that is known to be in existence. If this 
distinguished officer did write other Journals it is unfortunate that 
they have been lost, and it is hoped that the publication of this one 
will induce all who are of the Vose blood to search their old family 
papers for other writings of Joseph Vose. 

1 Under date of 13 December, 1901, the Rev. James Gardiner Vose, D.I)., of 
Providence, Rhode Island, the grandson of Col. Joseph Vose and a member of 
the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati, writes : — 

I regret very much to say that there is no portrait of my Grandfather, nor any diary 
or Journal of his in existence. He died in 1816, and no effort seems to liave been made 
by any of his children to preserve papers which he must liave left. 

The diary now printed is in the possession of a collateral branch of the 
family, which may easily account for the fact that the Rev. Dr. Vose had 
never heard of its existence. It belongs to Mrs. William Brewster of Cam- 
bridge, l^Iassachusetts, a great grand-daughter of Elijah Vose of Milton, brother 
of Joseph Vose, and himself an officer in the Revolutionary Army and Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel of the Regiments of which his brother Joseph was in command. 



JOUKNAL OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JOSEPH VOSE. 

A Memorandum Drew from y* Minutes I took Daily. 1776. 
To Mrs. Vose. — Mam. from Cambridge to N. York, I sent 
you home a Memorandum. — March 30th, then arriv'd att 
N. York, which time we fortified y^ Governor's Isleland & 
th the City. Spent the time very Agreeably, while we was 

April. there ; Set Sail for Albany, with Greaton's Regiment — 

Patterson's, Bond's & poor's,^ under the Command of Gen! 
Thomson, with our Regiments all Hearty & well & in good 
Spirits, we lived well upon our Passage went on Shore got 
Butter Egg's, & every thing we wanted. I had a fine Cabbin 
to lodge in & the best Voyage I ever went by water. 

26 Arriv'd at Albany the City was much bigger than I expected. 

we got some Necessaries for the Reg' 

26. Set out for half-moon,^ there fell a Heavy rain in the morn- 

ing, which made it bad Travelling, the Land from Albany to 
half moon is exceeding Good, 

1 The officers mentioned in this Journal may all be identified and the terms 
of their service found by referring to F. B. Heitman's Historical Register of 
Officers of the Continental Army during the War of the Revolution (Wash- 
ington, 1893). 

John Greaton, afterwards Brigadier-General, was a resident of Roxbury, 
Massachusetts, where he was born 10 March, 1741, and died 16 December, 
1783. He is buried in the cemetery on the corner of Washington and Eustis 
Streets, Boston. 

John Paterson was a resident of Lenox and was Colonel of the Berkshire 
regiment which started for Boston upon hearing the news of the battle of 
Lexington. He graduated from Yale in 1762 and was by profession a 
lawyer. After the war he removed to Binghampton, New York, and was 
Chief-Justice of the County Court. He died 19 July, 1808 (Memorials of 
the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati, Boston, 1890, p. 381). 

William Bond, born 17 February, 1733-34, was of the Watertown family of 
that name. He died in camp near Ticonderoga 31 August, 1776 (Bond's 
Genealogies and History of Watertown, i. 66). 

Enoch Poor was a prominent merchant of Exeter, New Hampshire, and 
served with distinction as Colonel and Brigadier-General. He died in camp at 
Hackensack, New Jersey, 8 or 9 September, 1780. 

'^ Half Moon is now Waterford on the Hudson, and was undoubtedly named 
for Henry Hudson's ship. There were no bridges over the Hudson or Mohawk 
rivers at that time, but there was a ferry at Half Moon, and another on the 
Mohawk five miles above Cohoes Falls (Lossing's Field Book of the Revolution, 
i. 41). 



27. take our baggage out of y* Battoes, as it went from Albany 

to half moon in Battoes, we arrived att Stillwater that Night 
where we took up two Deserters of CoP Poors Reg' & sent 
them back to Albany. Nothing Extrodiary happen'd to Day. 

^^"^ Sunday Morning, Clear & Pleaseant, we then put our baggage 

^^- into Battoes, & March'd for Saratoga where we arrived be- 

fore Night, we took our baggage out of the Battoes, & 
carried it across the Carrying-Place about one mild, then 
Carried it about 3 mild by "Water to fort Miller the land from 
Still "Water to Fort Miller very good, Some part of the 
Eegim!. tarry att Saratoga, & some part at fort Miller, 
CoP Greaton & my self tarry with GelJ Schuyler. Gen" 
Schuyler has got a very Grand farm, & Elegant Buildings, 2 
mild from Saratoga. 

29. Set out for Fort Edward, past fort miller where there was 
grand Saw mills. Arrived att fort Edward Before Night, 
Raind very hard Soon after we got there, Nothing Extraordi- 
nary happened to Day. only that several of our men fired 

att Deer & Did not kill them. we viewed the Old 

fort, & thought it was grand once 

30. Marched for fort George, & Schyenesborough,^ take our 
baggage out of the Battoes, those men that are the least 
able to Stand fatigue we send with y* Waggons & baggage 
to fort George, or fort "W"" Henry, the rest with CoP. 
Greaton & my self, with 4 Days. Provision upon our Backs, 
worse travilling men never travailed, this Day we see where 
Gen^ Putnam was taken by the Indians, & tied up to a tree,^ 
It now Rains exceeding hard & we have uo Shelter, But the 
"Woods, this march proceed's from the Neglect of not 
havino- battoes built. 



^iT' We marched for Schyenesborough where our men took Cold 

^ lyiiig on the Ground, & no Shelter the travailing still re- 

mains exceeding bad, Some Places water is very high, where 

1 Now Whitehall, at the head of the South Bay of Lake Champlain. 

2 In the skirmish of Abercrombie's troops in August, 1758, with the French 
and Indians, Major Israel Putnam was taken prisoner and tied to a tree, and 
was about to be burned alive when released by a French officer. The spot was 
about a mile west of Fort Anne and just south of Whitehall (Ibid. i. 140 ; and 
Fiske's New France and New England, 1902, chapter x.). 



8 

we liave to wade, we Arrive att Scli^yenesborough Before Night 
where we had good Shelter. Cap' Beut^ & myself went to a 
tavern about a Mild from the Reg' where we were grandly 
entertaind the men Still Remain in high Spirits athou Such a 
Fatigue through y^ woods, Just before Night 2 of C'ap'. 
William's ^ men got into an old Canoe above the falls their 
not minding they were so near the falls they got affrighted, 
& both Jumpt out, one got in again & we could not come att 
them to give 'em any Assistance the Canoe Driving Down 
the falls with one that had hold of the Stearn of y^ Canoe, 
it heave him 10 feet high & Broke the Canoe when it passed 
the falls one of them we found hanging to a bush almost 
Dead, but revived, & the other never was Found, though 
there was great Search made from, his Name that was 
Drowned was howe. Brother to James Howe the Baker at 
Roxbury.^ 

^hf' ■ this Morning Clear & Pleasant, we Set out from Schyenes- 

^'^' borough & Sail to Ticonderoga along the South-Bay. &. 

Arrived at 12 o the clock, our Reg' then went into the old 
french Barracks, our baggage is not Come from fort George 
this afternoon we go out, & view the Ground where y" Battle 
was fought 1758 & find the mens bones where the battle was 
fought, my Self & some of y" Officers goes Farther over to 
the Carrying Place where Lord. Howe * landed with 20. thou- 

1 William Bent, Captain in the 24th Continental Infantry. 

2 Edward Paysou Williams, son of Jeremiah Williams of Roxbury, was a 
Captain in the same regiment and died in service, 25 May, 1777 (Drake's The 
Town of Roxbury, 1878, pp. 31, 398). 

8 James Howe kept a bakeshop near the corner of the present Washington 
and Warren Streets and was a prominent man in Roxbury at the time of the 
Revolution (76iW. pp. 92,206, 280, 381). He was probably the son of James 
Howe (born in 1713) of Roxbury, weaver, and Jane Meroth of Dorchester, who 
were married 31 July, 1740, and had two sons : (i) Jaines, born 2 November, 
1746, died 1798, and (ii) David, born 1 March, 1757. The latter was probably 
the David How, or David Howe, Jr., who was a member of E. P. Williams's 
Company (Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, 
viii. 331, 384). 

* George Augustus, Viscount Howe, elder brother of Admiral Richard, Vis- 
count Howe and of General Sir William Howe. He was a soldier of great 
ability and had been sent over by Pitt as second in command to General Aber- 
crombie. He was killed in a battle with the French 6 July, 1758. 



sand men, & had not marched, but a little, way before he 
was Killed, & we saw, the Place, we Still wait for our Bag- 
gage to come over lake George, & Does not arrive to Night 

i_. this morning Clear & Pleasent, our Baggage is Just arrived, 

we Cart it over the Carrying Place to our Battoes We Drew 
here 10 days Provisions, for to Carry us to S' Johns ; here I 
bought 2 Barrels of beer to Drink on the lakes. We got 
ready to set off. att 4 o'Clock, & Saild to Crown Point, that 
Night. Where we Landed, & the Soldiers went into y'' old 
Barracks, the Officers got into the tavern. 

*J this morning we rise by times, went viewed the old fort, 

that was Burnt Down I think it was the Grandest fort that 
ever was built in America, we put our baggf" on board the 
Battoes y" men in high Spirits & are afraid Quebec will be 
taken before we get there, we now Pursue our Voyage for 
S'. Johns, we arrive att Split Rock ^ the wind being so Strong 
against us & the Sea. Rough that we are Obliged to go on 
shore, & tarry that Night. 

f Sunday. — the Wind Still Continues Contrary, & look's 

Promissing for a Storm. We order'd the men to Clear a 
Spot of Ground as it was a Wilderness, So that the Rev. M^ 
Barnum ^ could Preach a Sermon to us. he Preached from 
Proverbs, Chap' 18.— & Vers. 10. — the Wind Still Con- 
tinues Contray & we are Obliged to tarry here this Night. 



this morning cold, & Snows fast the Wind Contrary, we Still 
tarry, one of our men. brought me 2 Partridges, which I Stew'd 
& had a fine Dinner, the Storm Still Increases, I have got 
good Beer & Brandy, So that we faired very well, though 
our. Situation was bad. Nothing remarkable f) Day 



1 Split Rock is about thirty miles north of Crown Point on Lake Champlain. 

* The Rev. Caleb Barnum was the seventh minister of the First Congrega- 
tional Church at Taunton, Massachusetts, where he was installed 2 February, 
1769. (See Emery's Ministry of Taunton, ii. 1, for a sketch and portrait of 
him.) He graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1757, and re- 
ceived the honorary degree of A.M. from Harvard in 1768. He was Chaplain 
of Col. Greaton's Regiment, and through the fatigue and exposure of this 
expedition he contracted a disease from which he died at Pittsfield, Massachu- 
setts, 23 August, 1776, in the fortieth year of his age. 



10 

7^ this morning Clear & Calm, Snow ankle, High. Set out 

very early on our passage this Day we rowed, 60 miles to 
the Isle of Mott,^ y"^ men Still in good Spirits we were 
troubled to Keep the men from rowing beyond their Strength, 
the land very good on each side y" lake as we past it, we 
tarried that Night on the Isle of Mott. 

*J» this morning Cloudy the Wind fair, & a fine Gale, we had 

good Sails to the Battoes & they Saild very fast we arrived 
at S' Johns, ^ 12 o'Cloek, there made a Short Stop & took 
in Pilots to go to Shambly,^ we went about 6 miles from 
S' Johns, there all the men got out of the Battoes except 6 
men in each Boat to Go Down the Rapid. I went Down in 
one of the Battoes as being use to handling an oar the 
Rapid exceeding Swift, we arrived att Shambly 4 o Clock & 
there the Rain Came on very fast hindered our Proceediug 
that Night we tarry here this Night, Col. Greaton &, myself, 
with M' Barnum tarried in a french House, the Soldiers went 
into Barraks. 

*'' This morning I began to think of Some bad conduct. Some- 

where, we Set early for Sorell, fair Wind & very Pleaseant 
river. Setled thick on both sides, had not saild' far before 
we saw the women Standing in the water, up to their knees, 
washing, which I thought very odd, but it was y" Custom 
among the People though the weather was very cold for the 
Season, the men Still in good Spirits, & many wagers laid 
Betwen Officers, we should arrive to Quebec Before Saturday 
Night, that Day Met a number of Yorkers from Quebec, 
they said, their times were out Which Still caus'd me to 
Suspect that matters were conducted bad at Quebec, we 
arriv'd att Sorell about Sun Down. & as we came to the 
Shore, we receiv'd the news of our People's Defeat att. 
Quebec. & their retreat towards us. which gave us a great 
Shock Indeed, & orders not to proceed any farther. As our 
Reg' Sat out from Albany 1 Day Before the rest, & our men 
being so Resolute to get forward that they gaind one Day 
of the rest of y* Regiments extrodiay att. 12 o Clock that 

1 Isle La Motte, in Lake Champlain. 

2 St. John's is on the west bank of the Richelieu or Sorel River, Canada. 
* Chambly, Canada. 



11 

Night we heard 2 Swiffles fire, which Alarm'd us, but we 
soon found that it was the Return of Cap'. Stevens ^ from 
the 3 Rivers. Cap*. Stevens with his Company of Artillery 
went from Cambridge with 2, — 13 inch Mortars, & went 
as far into Canada as 3"' Rivers, & their Received orders to 
go back to Sorell. 

Jh A Battoe Arrived this morning, which ConlBrms the news 

of the Retreat, we hear that Gen] Thomas is bringing up 
the Rear of the Army, & here we be in this Situation, & 
have Strict orders not to go Forward. 

l^ Battoe comes in, the men bring news that the Army want 

boats to Retreat with y^ Sick, we Immediately sent 10 Boats 
which was all y^ boats we had then went 50 men under y* 
Command of Cap. Bent in those boats they went about 30 
miles below 3"' Rivers, then they put themselves into 2 
Battoes, & Delivered the rest to the sick, as they were 
afraid of y^ small-Pox. 

Suncb. 

th the battoes Still Keep coming in Load'd with men Sick of 

the Small Pox. Such a Sunday I never saw, for to see the 
french Attend at mass, & very Strict in their Religion, all 
which seem'd to be Superstitious to us 

13. Gen'. Thomas not arrived we cant learn, whether he Deter- 

mines to come to Sorell or Fortify Point d.Shambo.^ 40 
miles this Side of Quebec. 

*5 Gen|. Thomson with Gen|. Arnold arrive here from Montreal. 

Nothing extreme to Day. 

II 2 Vessels come from Montreal loaded with Provisions & 

Artillery Stores. 



Jg We hear this Day that Gen|. Thos. will soon arrive. 



^7 Order's to day from Gen}. Arnold for y^ Surgeon to Innocu- 

late y^ men, to my Great Surprize. 



1 Ebenezer Stevens, of the New York Artillery, was commissioned Captain 
of Artillery 6 December, 1775, and later became Major and Lieutenant-Colonel 
(Saffell's Records of the Revolutionary War, 1894, third edition, p. 155). 

2 Deschambault, about forty miles from Quebec. 



LosQ. 



12 

j| this morning Cloudy, & very Cold for y* Season Our Pro- 

vision is very Short, brought to half an allowance. 

^ Gen'. Thomas arrives, Steady & Calm he tells me he was 

Sorry that he had been so Deceiv'd in the Situation of our 
Army he likewise Informs me that they had a Council of 
War. Before Queb": — & the Result was to Retreat to Point. 
d.Shambo, for they had not 1000 Effective men att. Queb*: 
their Camps being att Such a Distance from each Other, 
that it was Impossible to Collect any Number of men 
together 

^ We have this Day orders to go to Montreal to have the 

Small pox, but as Soon as we Had Orders to have the Small 
pox the Officers & men were so eager to get it, that many 
of them would not wait till we got to Montreal, but Stole 
the Infection, & Innoeulated each other, 
we set off this afternoon for Montreal in Battoes, & Saild 
15 miles. 



th Clear & very cold for the Season we set off early for Mon- 

treal, y" wind a Head. Something of a Current, this is 
y' River S' Laurence From Sorell to Montreal which is 
very Pleaseant Setled thick on both Sides, y*" women are a 
Washing in this river like the Other we pass Several very 
fine mass, — Houses, we go now Some on the land the rest 
are in the Battoes, we meet two of the Cont'. Congress which 
Inform us of very bad news, that there was a Small Fort 
call'd the Cedars about 30 miles Above Montrl. they tell us 
it is taken by the Enemy, & all the men, & that Major 
Shearbon ^ went out with a party & they were all tak'n they 
likewise said that it was talked of at Montreal that Day at 
12 o Clock, that y^ Inhabitants Intended to take arms that 
Night & Conquer our People they advise us to march Into 
town that Night as we were 15 miles off at Sun Down, the 
men are very much Fatigued, but As the case was Repre- 

1 Henry Sherburn, of Rhode Island, was commissioned a Major in General 
Patorson's Regiment (15th Continental Infantry) 1 January, 1776, taken pris- 
oner at The Cedars, 20 May, made Major of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment 
1 January, 1777, and Colonel of one of the additional Continental Regiments 
12 January, 1777 (Heitman ; Lossing's First Book of the Revolution, i. 208 ; 
T. Egleston, Life of John Paterson, 1898, p. 87.) 



13 

sented to us In such a bad Situation, we exerted ourselves 
& went in, we arrived about 9, o'Clock at Night, very Dry 
& Cold for the season, the ground hard, which lamed some 
of y^ men Montreal was a much bigger City than I had any 
Idea of. we Remain'd in Montreal 2 Days, with very few 
men, and as the Enemy had taken Maj^ Shearbon with his 
party, & got the fort att the Cedars, we expected, an Attack 
evez'y Hour. 

^ A party of men arrive from Sorell Intending to go & retake 

the fort at. the Cedars. 

th the party Set off this Morning, under the Command of CoP. 

D. Haas,i & U CoP Williams, they being 600, in N° Went 
as far as Lasheene,^ 6 miles from Montreal, there they tarry 
that Nigt 



th 
23. 



this morning set of with the addition of 300, more, under 
the command of GenJ. Arnold to go to the Cedars, they 
Came up to the enemy About Sun Sett the enemy on one 
Side of the River & they y" Other, with our Prisoners th* 
they took, in y'^ evening they sent a flagg over to the Gen' 
with proposals of exchanging Prisoners, as we took a Num- 
ber of Prisoners att S^. Johns, the Enemy likewise told 
them that if they Pursued their measures, they would De- 
stroy every one of our men that they had Prisoners att y* 
Cedars The GenJ. Would not comply with it. the enemy sent 
another flagg at 12 o'Clock y'^ Same Night, & Still said that 
they Would Destroy our Prisoners if we pursu'd them, then 
GenJ. Arnold setled the Cartel with them to exchange Pris- 
oners & leave 4 Capt% with them, as Hostiges but they soon 
Broke the Cartel in firing upon our men. the same Cartel 
was afterwards Carried to Congress but they Comply'd not 
with it. because the enemy fired upon our men after y<= Car- 
tel was made, & broke it. but the Cartel was Astonishing 



1 John Philip De Haas of Pennsylvania had been appointed Colonel of the 
First Battalion of Pennsylvania Regulars 22 January, 1776, and the followino- 
year was made a Brigadier-General of the Continental Army. He retired to 
Philadelphia in 1779 and rendered no subsequent service. He died 3 June, 
1786 (Heitman; Force's American Archives, Fourth Series, iv. 785, Fifth 
Series, ii. 615). 

2 Lachine. 



14 

to me, & had I have had an own Brother there, I should 
have been for Pursuing them, & taking them it was in the 
Gen^^' Power to have taken them, & I Dont think that they 
Durst to have killed a Prisoner all to besaid of it is the for- 
tune of War. 

24_ Clear & Pleaseant but very Cold for y*" season. Nothing 

Remarkable to Day. 

25 Our Regiment are Still in Montreal In a very Poor Situa- 

tion, our Officers & men are Breaking out with the Small 
Pox, & no other troops in the City but ours, & expecting 
every Night to be Attack'd I went the rounds almost every 
Night for a week, 6 to. 1. of our Number is in y^ City almost 
all against us & very Malicious but we Keep good Guard, & 
are Determin'd that if they Do rise, we will give them Good 
battle. 



29. 



Nothing extraord'; to Day. 



2^ Gen'. Arnold arrives from the Cedars brings news that there 

~ is a Cartel Consented to. by both Parties, & have exchang'd 

Prisoners. 

^ this Morning Clear & Pleaseant, a Number of our Troops 

Return from the Cedars, we have this Day Orders to Go to 
St. Johns, to have, & Recruit of the small pox. CoP Greaton 
Marches this Day with part of the Reg', for S!. Johns, y* 
reason of the Whole Reg'** not going to day is for want of 
Eattoes. the GenJ sends to me to Night about 11 o'Clock 
that he had had Information by friends that the Inhabitants 
Intended to take us that Night, likewise said to me. to do 
the best I could. I accordingly went & awoke all the Sol- 
diers, & m.ade them Dress themselves & Load their Guns 
Lying on their arms to be ready Instantly. I told them 
further if they Did take us, it should not be for Nothing I 
then went the rounds, & to the Guards Doubled the Centi- 
nels, giving them orders to fire upon any Person that Did 
not ffive a good account of himself. 



1^ This morning Clear & Pleaseant but Cold, & Dry for the 

season. Col° Stark with Col° Read j^rrive here from S'. 
Johns with part of their Regiments the Gen'. Orders that the 



15 

Eemainder of Col. Greatons Reg', go Immediately to S'. 
Johns, & that I must tarry for he could not spare me, I send 
the Reg*, off as soon as I can, an express arrive from Shambly 
to Montreal, & Informs us that GenS Thomas Died last 
evening. 

^ The Gen| orders me this morning to go to Shambly, as soon 

*" as I got to Shambly I met Gen|. Sullivan,^ to my great Joy, 

& as I talked with the Gen', he gave me orders not, to go to 
S'. Johns, to tarry, only to get Col° Greaton, with the rest of 
the officers, that were fit for Duty, & push for Sorell as 
Quick as Possible. 

*^ Our Reg* is now at the worst with y* S. Pox, No more well 

than enough, to tend y* Sick, CoP Greaton with my self 
went only with each of us a waiter, we set off for Sorell, go 
to Shambly & overtake CoP Stark, ^ with part of his Reg* 
we are in Company together on the way to Sorell we lodge 
this Night, about 10 miles below Shambly. 

June 

th Fair this morning Clear & Pleaseant fair wind, & we set sail 

i.t 

for Sorell — Arrive at Sorell 3, o'Clock, Just as we arrive, 

Gen'. Thomson ^ was in readiness to march, to the 3 Rivers 

with 700 men to meet the enemy, also he was to Join 700 

men more att S*. Fransway's,* & Proceed to the 3 Rivers, 

which is about 90 miles this side of Quebec, as they said, 

there was 4. or 500. of Regulars which had there been uo 

more our Troops would have taken them with ease. But 

our troops were mislead by a Pilot after they landed, & 

went from their Battoes which much Disappointed them, for 

as they Intended to have took the enemy under Surprise, in 

the Night, they were keep marching in a Swamp till after 

Sun-rise, all very unlucky for us, for y^ Night before there 

1 Gen. John Sullivan of New Hampshire, then a Brigadier- General in the 
Continental Army. 

2 Gen. John Stark of New Hampshire was at this time Colonel of the 5th 
Continental Infantry. 

' William Thompson had been Colonel of the Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment, 
and was made Brigadier-General of the Continental Infantry 1 March, 1776. 
He was taken prisoner 8 June, 1776, and exchanged 25 October, 1780. He died 
3 September, 1781 (Heitman). 

* The reference is probably to St. Fran9ois. 



16 

came 6, or 8 Vessels up as far as, 3, Rivers, and the Instant 
our People came in Sight, they landed their men from the 
Shipping, which made their Numbers, vastly Superior to ours, 
there was a Shot or two on each Side, & our People Re- 
treated, but the Retreat, was so bad, their, being under Such 
bad Circumstances, that the enemy took Genl Thonison, 
with about 120 more. 

t^ This morning fair and Clear, Nothing Remarkable to Day. 

^ Cold & Dry nothing Remarkable to Day. 

th Clear & Pleaseant, we hear that the Soldiers will be in to 

morrow from 3 Rivrs 

ti» the Battoes arrive that went for 3 Rivers the Soldiers march 

a 

by land, N. remark'*" 

tj* thev arrive about 6 miles from Sorell. Where we send the 

Battoes after them bring them to sorell. 

*J» this morning clear & Pleasent, we begin to fortify with a 

great Deal of expedition. 



this Day 500 men are ordered upon Fatigue, with the Great- 
est expedition. 



th .500 men this Day Fortifying at Sorell 

t^ Still go on fortifying. 

th We have this Day news the enemy are a going to Montreal 

by us & not attack us, the Gen' this Night calls a Council 
of war of all the field Officers there is upon y* Ground, the 
Chief of the Counsil were for Retreating, I among the 
Small Number for Staying.' 

ti» this morning left the Works att Sorell, & Retreated to 

12. '^ ' 

Shambly. Bringing all Stores, & left nothing. 

th We move our Stores from Shambly to S'. Johns, as fast as 

Possible, the Rapids exceeding bad to get the Battoes over, 
& caus'd much work with DifiSculty to do it. 



17 

14 Reported that the Enemy are very njgh us, the Gen^ sends 

me this morning to a Place called Centras, half way, Be- 
tween Shambly, & S'. Johns, with Strict orders that no 
OflBcer or man should pass, till all the Artillery Store & 
Baggage were got forward 

51 this morning the Rear march from Shambly with all their 

baggage, to Centras. from there I Bring the rear to S' 
Johns. 

*^ this Day we send our Sick & Artillery Stores To the Isle of 

Mott. 

th We have this morning a Council of war the Council Deter- 

17 " 

mines to Retreat to the Isle of Noix^ with all Stores, & 

from thence to Crown Point as Quick as possible, we tarry 

to the Isle of Noix till we can get our Sick to Crown Point, 

& our Artillery Stores to the Isle of Mott. 

Jl our Boats are not Returned from C. Point 

*^ Boats not Returnd yet. 

.* Some Part of our boats Return, for more Stores. 

*^ Our Boats Do not arrive. 

*^ this Morning Clear & Pleaseant, about 3, o'Clock there set 

off. 7. Officers 4 Privates to go about half a mild across the 
lake to get some Beer, they went without arms, & entered the 
House Close to the lake, but there was Indians, lay In 
Ambush, & rose upon them, Killed 4 & Scalped them they 
also took the rest, the Gen'. Sent a Party over as Quick as 
Possible, but the Indians were gone our People B.-ought over 
back again, the Dead men that were Scalped 2 officers, & 
2 Privates. Such a Sight I never beheld with my eyes as to 
see men Scalped. 

*^ this Day it is Reported that there was 2 boats coming from 

the Isle of Mott to the Isle of Noix, they went on shore 
about 9 miles from the Isle of Noix after Some Necessaries, 

1 Isle Aux Noix, in the Sorel. 



18 

the Indians came upon them out of the woods, killed & 
took, about one half of them, the rest got. Into a boat & 
pushed for the Isle of Mott the other Boat Floated alone, 
& came Down to the Isle of Noix, with one Dead man in it. 

th the talk this morning is that we shall not get off. to Day. 

our boats are not come, & the enemy on both sides of us. 

th We Still Remain, & the Boats do not Return. 

25. 

th We remain under the same Circumstances. 

th Our Boats appear in sight, & come, we Load our baggage & 

their is not boats Enough to take us all in. 12 Hundred of 
us, are Obliged to march by land. We set off. att 12, 
o'clock, under the Commd. of CoP Wayn,^ CoP Greaton in 
front Maj"; Morgan in the Center, CoP Porter & myself, 
brought up the Rear, We all expect, that the enemy have 
laid in wait for us, we have 1200 the best of Troops, & are 
Determined if we meet with them, to cut them off. Root, & 
Branch, we crost the river in Battoes & marched about 5 
miles then we come to where the men was killed a Day or 
two before, we there burn, 2 Dwelling Houses, 1 Saw mill, & 
one Grist Mill. Which belonged to a torey, where the men 
were Killed, & Scalpt, as I wish every torey's house was 
burn'd upon y® Continent he being gone off to the enemy we 
could not catch him, we had orders to take y* Cattle with us, 
my bringing up the Rear Guard, we Drove the Cattle on 
side of the lake, I went in among the Cattle with a Hatchet 
& Knocked Down 10 of them, & Stuck them, in less than 
10, Minutes the men hove them into the Battoes. — 2 Cows, 
& calves, I put on board alive. We then Pursued our 
march, with our front flank, & Rear Guards, about 6 miles 
farther, worse travilling men never travailled, it rains ex- 
ceeding hard, & Night comes on, which makes it very Dark, 
we are Alarm'd about 11, o'Clock att Night, but soon find it 
is only some of our flank guard, that had got lost, in the 
woods 

"» We rise very early this morning, & go Down to our Battoes. 

Dress the Beef that we had Killed y* Day before — Cooked 

1 Gen. Anthony Wayne, at this time Colonel of the 4th Pennsylvania 
Battalion. 



19 

some of it, & eat. it is the first fresh beef that we have eat 
this 2. Months Our Boats arrives from the Isle of Mott to 
us about 11, o Clock, then we went into y*" Battoes & set off 
for Point, aufare, about 8 miles from the Isle of mott, we 
came to Point Aufare, burned a large torey House took in 
a number of our troops, & went to the Isle of mott. 

^ We load all our Battoes, with Artillery Stores & Provisions, 

sett out about 3, o Clock with 100 battoes, in 4 Divisions, 
went about 12 miles that afternoon we past the vessels that 
had the Artillery Stores Provisions &c. before Night. 

^ We set off again early this morning for Crownt-Point, & 

go abot 20 miles where there is a number of families lives. 
Friends to us we there tarry for the Vessels to come up. but 
they Do not heave in Sight, orders, from the Gen} Just be- 
fore Night, for me with Col° M':Field to take 500, men. go 
Down & bring up the Vessels, we go Down in the Night, & 
Come up with one of them, but it was very Dark, & she had 
like to fired upon us thinking it was her enemy. We went 
on Shore upon one of the Islands & tarry all Night. 

July 
th Gen! Sullivan with the army set off for Crown Point from 

Ist. 

Gilliland's Creeck. we tarried with the Vessels, & came that 
Night up to Split Rock where there were a Number of the 
Inhabitants. Durst not tarry for fear of Indians, & came 
with us to C. Point, we make a tarry here this Night below 
Split rock 



th 
2d. 



this morning we rise by times, & put 70 Head of Cattle on 
board of the battoes & Vessels, we then set out for Crown. 
Point being a Calm we have to toe the Vessels which makes 
it late before we get to Crown Point. I have new arrived 
att Crown Point, there never was a grander Retreat made, 
than what we made from Sorell, to Crown Point, all the way, 
for I brought up the rear myself all the way, & know very 
well, therefore you may hear what Stories you will it is the 
truth what I tell you. 

but Canada has been a very unfortunate Place for Generals. 
Gen} Thomas Died with the small Pox, Gen} Thomson Taken 
Prisoner, Genl Sullivan has Resign'd & Gone from us, which 
I am very sorry for. Our troops are now Chiefly at Ticon- 



20 

deroga, fortifying that, & on au Hill Close by. A very Good 
Place, some part of our Troops are att Crown Point we have 
4. arm'd Vessels upon the lake, we have 4 Gundeloes built, 
& 4 more building for which I think we shall Command the 
lake without any Difficulty, each Gundelow, Carries 4 Guns, 
our Army Is now about 4000. Strong our Sick are moved to 
fort George. I undei'stand there is a large Numbr. of troops 
a Coming, but I am Sorry there is any troops a Coming before 
our times are out. that they might take our Places. I shall 
send you the Remainder of the Journal as soon as I have 
opportunity, the Particulars, concerning the retreat from 
Quebec, to Sorell, I will send you in the next Journal, so 
that you may know it is not so bad as you have heard 



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